Functional CD4+CD25high regulatory T cells are enriched in the colonic mucosa of patients with active ulcerative colitis and increase with disease activity

Abstract

Colonic CD4+CD25high Tregs are able to suppress colonic effector T cell activity in vitro, and the Treg frequency in the inflamed intestine increases with disease activity in patients with active UC. This suggests that Tregs may be outnumbered by other inflammatory cells or that their suppressive activity may be influenced by the in vivo environment.